Block-signal.



.0. H. ROTH & H. AQ'HARRINGTON.

BLOCK SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 6, 1906.

Patented Jan. 26. 1909. a sums-sum 1.

. ch11. ROTH & H. A. HARRINGTON.

BLOCK SIGNAL.- v APPLIOATIONFILEDDEGA,1906. 910,957. r v Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

cHARLEs H. ROTH AND HARRY A. HARRINGTON, or KRoN, oH1o.

BLOCK-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern: a A

Be it known that we, GHARLEs H. ROTH and HARRY A. HARRINGTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Block-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in block signals, and has particular reference to signals used in connection with single track electric railways, the object being to. produce a simple and reliable electrically operated semi-automatic signal.

With the above object in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described partic ularly pointed out in the claims, and clearly illustrated bythe accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating our improved system; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail view of the shifting contact device; Fig. 8, a side elevation of what we term the contact-pan or plate; Fig. 4, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 5, a sectional detail view showing one of the lamp circuit contacts with one of the contact blades of the shifting contact-device in engagement therewith, and Fig. 6, an end elevation of the contact-pan or plate.

. Ourirnproved system consists of two sets of apparatus, one located at each end of the sections of the single track. Each set is identical with the other, so that it is necessary to describe in detail but one set.

1 designates asolenoid which is connected to some source of electric, power 2, which may be either the trolley wire or feeder. The solenoid is connected by wire 3 to the contact pan or plate 4, presently to be described.

The core or plunger 5 of the solenoid is provided with a laterally-extending contactblade 6 whichnormally makes contact with a contact-piece? said core or plunger constituting a circuit-changer. This contactpiece 7 is grounded as illustrated in Fig. 1. The plunger 5 also has one end of a flexible wire 8 attached thereto, the other end of said wire being connected with a solenoid 9. The

solenoid 9 of one set of apparatus is con-. .nected with the corresponding solenoid of the other set. The shifting contact device presently to be described is actuated by the plunger or core of the solenoid 9.

11 is a conductor of low resistance which V Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 6, 1906; 2 Serial No. 346,646.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

may be shunted around the solenoid 1, if found necessary or desirable.

The signals employed in our system are in the form of electric incandescent lamps of different colors, the shifting contact-device effecting the lighting of lamps of the same color at the respective ends of the section or block protected by the system.

Solenoid 1 is sowound that the current used for lighting and heating the cars or for operating air-pumps will not energize it sufficiently to operate the signal system, otherwise said current which is not controlled by the controller of the car would effect the setting ofthe signals, which signals in our invention are designed to be under the control of the motorman, through the medium of the car-controller. V

Arranged in close proximity to the plunger 5 is a contact 12 connected by a wire 13 with the source of electric power, said contact being so arranged that it will be engaged by contact-blade 6 when the plunger 5'is drawn upwardly.

Arranged at each end of the switch are the incandescent lamps R and W designating respectively, red and white lights, the circuit to each of which is closed by the shifting contact-device, which when moved in one direction, engages the contact 13 and closes the circuit to the white light and when moved in the other direction engages the contact 14 and closes the circuit to the red light.

The shifting contact-device consists of a rectangular frame 15 which slides on a grooved support 16, said frame being provided upon its opposite longitudinal edges with inwardly-extending projections 17 to be engaged by the PIOJGCiIlOllS or teeth 18 on a wheel 19 suitably mounted. The opposite ends of the frame carry contact-blades 20 which are insulated therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2, said contact-blades engaging alternately the contacts 13 and 14. The formation of these contacts 13 and 14 is clearly shown in Fig. 5, where one of the contact-blades is shownin position therein.

The rotation of the wheel 19 is effected by a triangular-shaped member 21 provided with a gear 22 which meshes with a gear 22 carried by said wheel. Said triangular piece is provided at each corner with a stud or pin 23 to be engaged by the hooked end of an arm 24, pivotally connected to the plunger 10 of solenoid 9. r The hooked end of arm or lever 24is in the shape of a pivoted claw 25,

the members of which extend on the re spective sides of the triangular piece to engage the pins or studs which project upon both sides of the latter. Said claw is so arranged that it may swing upwardly from a normal position but not downwardly.

The contact-pan consists of a metallic plate 26 having slotted ends and, flanged longitudinal edges. Fastened to said plate at its respective ends are strips 27 of insulating material to which trolley-ears 28 are attached, These trolley-ears are grooved to receive the trolley-wire and at their inner ends formed to convey said wire upwardly Where it passes over grooved insulators 29 positioned upon the upper side of the contact pan. Means for suspending said contact pan is provided by the casting 30 which is attached to the pan in some suitable manner and provided with rings 31.

The operation of our invention is as follows: When a car passes through one end of a block; and the motorman wishes to change the lamp signals, he keeps his controller on as the trolley-wheel passes. through the contactan. The current will flow from the troley-wire or feeder 2 through the solenoid 1 andwire 3, which is connected to the contact pan, through the trolley wheel and pole to the motors of the car and to ground. This current will be suflicient to energize solenoid 1, causing its plunger 5 to move upwardly therein. This upward movement of the plunger brings contact-blade 6 into contact with contact-piece 12. The current will then flow from the trolley-wire or feeder 2 to contact piece 12 through the wire 13, throughthe contact blade 6, and through wire 8 to solenoid 9. From this solenoid 9 the current will flow to solenoid 9 of the other set of apparatus, through the wire 8 of that set, contact blade 6 of plunger 5, contact piece 7, and to ground. This causes solenoid 9 of both sets of apparatus to become energized, effecting the upward movement of plungers 10. As these plungers 10 move upwardly, the claws 25 carried thereby, by engagement with one of the pegs of the triangular members 21, e'tl ect the rotation of the latter. This rotation of the triangular members causes a rotation of the wheels 19 and the movement of the sliding frames, which movement eiiects the disengagement of the blades at one end from the contacts controlling one of the sets of lamps and the engagement of tire blades at the opposite ends with the contacts controlling the other sets of lamps. Thus, the light at each end of the switch or block is changed to red, thereby showing a car appreaching at either end whether there is a car in said block or not. When the trolley- Wheelleaves the contact-pan the solenoids 1 are denergized, causing the plungers 5 to drop, and moving contact-blade 6 from engagement with contact-piece 12 into engagement with contact piece '7. This causes solenoids to be deenergized. As soon as said solenoids 9 are deenergized, the plungers 10 drop, causing the claw 2 carried by levers 24 to slide obliquely down the side of the triangular members and over the ad jacent stud to the normal position. When the car leaves the block the solenoid 1 at that end is energized and the signals operated to display the white lights. Should two cars attempt to sinmltaneously operate the signals, the plungers 5 will both be drawn upwardly, and solenoids 9 will not be energized so that the lamps willremain unchanged. If the motorman wishes toleave the lamps unchanged, he coasts through the con tact pan.

In case of a system requiring very heavy cars requiring an excessive current, solenoids 1 may be connected in parallel (or shunted) with a conductor of low resistance. In this way solenoids 1v will receive a proportional amount of the current, which will be sullicient to energize them, but will not cause them to burn out. Instead of grounded connections, the wire of opposite polarity to that of wire 2 may be used.

It will be understood, that in place of the solenoids, electro-magnets could be used, with a slight modification of the mechanism.

From the above description, it will be seen that our system will eil'ect a saving in time, so that a better schedule can be kept, for the reason that it is not necessary for the car to be either stopped or brought nearly to a stop in order that the lights may be changed by hand. Further, the operation of the signals is placed under the control of the niotorman, said operation depending upon whether the car passes through the contact pan with the controller on or oil, thereby rendering it less likely that an accident should occur by reason of the signals not being set, as the motorman is in a position to watch the signals better than the conductor. It will also be seen that the entire mechanism may be placedin such a position as to be out of reach ol the ordinary person, so that tampering with the lights is prevented.

Having thus fully described 'our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an electrically-controlled railway signal, a solenoid, a shifting contact-device comprising a sliding member provided with contact-blades at its respective ends and with projections, a pivoted member having projections adapted to engage the projections of the contact device for the purpose of reciprocating the latter, means actuated by the core or phmger of the solenoid for eil'eeting the rotation of said pivoted member and contacts arranged to be engaged by the contact blades of said sliding member.

2. In an electrically-controlled railway signal, a solenoid, ashifting contact-device comprising a sliding-member provided at its respective ends with contact portions or blades and formed with projections, a pivoted member having projections adapted to engage the projections of the sliding member and efiect the reciprocation of the latter, a second pivoted member, an operative connection between the latter and the core or plunger of the solenoid, an operative connection between the two pivoted members, and contacts arranged to be engaged by the contact-blades of the sliding-member.

3. In an electricallycontrolled railway signal, a solenoid, a shifting contact-device comprising a sliding member provided with contact ortions, a pivoted member provided Wit studs or projections, a lever piv' oted to the core or plunger of the solenoid, adapted to engage said studs and rotate said member, an operative connection between said rotary member and the sliding member, and contacts arranged to be engaged by the contact-portions of the sliding member.

4. In an electrically operated railway signal system, a conductor connected with a source of electric power, a contact arranged in the path ofthe trolley wheel, a solenoid, connections between the solenoid, conductor and contact, a circuit-changeractuated by the solenoid, the circuit being completed through the car motors and to ground and the solenoid being energized to operate the circuit changer only when the car-controller is on, a second solenoid, connections whereby the current from the conductor is caused to flow through said last-mentioned solenoid by the shifting of the circuit-changer, electrically-operated safety and danger signals,'cirdirection to close the circuit in which the safety signals are included and when moved in a reverse direction to close the dangersignal circuit.

5. In an electrically operated railway signal system, a conductor connected with a source of electric power, a contact arranged in the path of the trolley wheel, a solenoid, connections between the conductor, solenoid and contact, a circuit-changer actuated by the solenoid, the circuit being completed through the car motors to ground and the solenoid energized to operate the circuitchanger only when the car controller is on, contacts adapted to bealternately engaged by the circuit-changer, a ground connection with one of the contacts, a connection between the other contact and the conductor, a

when moved in a reverse direction to engage 7) the contacts of the other circuit and close it.

6. In an electrically controlled railway signal system, a contact arranged in the path of the trolley wheel, a conductor connected with a source of electric power, a solenoid? electrically connected with the contact and the conductor, the circuit being completed through the car motors and to ground and the solenoid energizedto effect the displaying of the signals only, when the car-controller is on, a second solenoid, means actu- 'ated by the first mentioned solenoid for causing the current to pass through said lastmentioned solenoid, signal-circuits, signals included in said circuits, a reciprocating circuit-closer for completing said signal circuits, and means actuated by the last-mentioned solenoid for effecting the movement of said circuit-closer.

7. In an electrically operated railway signal system, a conductor extending throughout the block and connected with a source of electric power, contacts at each end of the block arranged in the path of the trolley wheel, solenoids at each end of the block, connections between each solenoid and the conductor and adjacent contact, the circuits being completed through the car motors and the solenoids energized only when the carcontroller is on, a signal-operating solenoid at each end of the block electrically connected, a safety and danger signal at each end of the block, electric circuits in which said signals are included, a reci rocating circuitcloser at each end of the lock actuated by the signal-operating solenoids to make and break the signal-circuits, and circuit changin devices actuated by the first-mentioned so enoids for causing the current to flow from the conductor through the signal-actuating solenoids when the first-mentioned solenoid at either end of the block is energized.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. ROTH. HARRY A. HARRINGTON. Witnesses:

CHAS. C. McOUsKEY, E. E. HARTMAN. 

